I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

The lights were on, and the streets and alleys of the capital were illuminated. Chen Jue finished the Qionglin Banquet and returned home with a slightly tired body. Chen Jia had already prepared fragrant tea in the hall, and when she saw Chen Jue returning, she hurried to greet him.

"Xiao Jue, you are finally back. The Qionglin Banquet must be very lively, right?" Chen Jia's eyes were full of curiosity and anticipation. She gently took the outer robe that Chen Jue took off and hung it on the hanger beside her.

Chen Jue nodded slightly, with a trace of relief on his face: "Today's Qionglin Banquet is indeed unprecedented. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here in person, and the new scholars are in high spirits. The scene is truly a gathering of the talents of the Great Chu. There are delicious food and fine wine, and elegant music. Everyone is either reciting poems or talking about their ambitions. It's so enjoyable." As he spoke, he walked to the table and sat down. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. The warm tea flowed down his throat, dispelling some of his fatigue.

Chen Jia sat down opposite Chen Jue, holding his chin with both hands, listening intently: "It is a great honor for the Chu to have such a grand scene. Xiao Jue, did you have any exchanges with those new scholars at the banquet?"

Chen Jue put down his teacup and sighed softly: "Although I have had a few conversations with them, I was too busy with other things at the banquet and failed to have an in-depth discussion with them. I had no idea about their talents and character. It was a pity." A trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes. As the chief examiner of the imperial examination, he was well aware of the importance of these new scholars to the Great Chu. He wanted to learn more about them at the banquet, but was unable to do so due to his busy schedule.

Chen Jia thought for a moment and said softly, "Xiao Jue, I have an idea. You might as well find a time to have a private chat with these new scholars. They have just entered the officialdom and must have many ideas and ambitions in their hearts. If you can have a long chat with them, you can not only know their talents and ambitions, but you may also be able to discover people who can be of great use among them and reserve more talent for the future of Da Chu." Her eyes were bright and firm, and she was confident in her proposal.

After hearing this, Chen Jue's eyes lit up, and his mind suddenly became clear. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Sister, this is a great idea. I was just worried about how to get to know them in depth. If I can communicate with them alone, I will definitely have a more comprehensive understanding of them." He admired Chen Jia's intelligence and was also happy that he had such a good idea. At this moment, his tiredness was swept away, replaced by the expectation and excitement of communicating with the new Jinshi.

A few days later, Chen Jue went to the palace to meet the prince and told him Chen Jia's proposal. The prince sat on the dragon chair in the study, nodded slightly, and showed approval in his eyes: "Chen Jue, this is a good idea. Now the court needs fresh blood. These new scholars are the rising stars of our Great Chu. We should carefully select those who are truly talented and virtuous and use them for our own benefit."

Chen Jue said respectfully: "Your Highness is wise. I think we can first sort out the essays and performances of these Jinshi in the provincial and imperial examinations in detail, and select those who have unique insights in state governance, people's livelihood improvement, military strategy, etc., and then arrange meetings with them to gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, ambitions and character." His eyes were focused and firm, and he spoke clearly, obviously having thought deeply about the matter.

The prince clapped his hands gently and said, "Very good. I will leave this matter to you. You must be careful and meticulous, and not make any mistakes. I hope you can select a group of talented and capable generals for the East Palace and the Great Chu."

After receiving the order, Chen Jue began to make intensive preparations. He cleared a quiet room in the Dali Temple as a place to talk with the Jinshi. The tables and chairs in the room were neatly arranged, and the bookshelves around were filled with various books such as classics, history, and collections, creating a solemn and elegant atmosphere.

The first person to come was the newly crowned number one scholar, Lin Yuan. He was dressed in a moon-white gown, walked steadily, and had a handsome face with a sense of elegance. After entering the house, he respectfully saluted Chen Jue: "Master Chen, I have long heard of your great name. It is Lin Yuan's honor to meet you today."

Chen Jue stood up to greet him and said with a smile: "Mr. Lin, there is no need to be polite. You have won the first place in the imperial examination, so your talent must be outstanding. I invited you here today because I want to have a chat with you and talk about your views on the future development of Da Chu."

Lin Yuan said modestly: "Your Excellency is too kind. Although the Great Chu is now at peace, there are still many challenges. In my opinion, the most urgent task is to develop the people's livelihood and economy. The people on the northern border are often harassed by nomadic peoples, and agricultural production is difficult to stabilize. The court should increase its support for the border areas, develop water conservancy projects, reclaim wasteland, and at the same time send capable officials to govern and strengthen border defense construction. Only in this way can we protect the border and the people and promote prosperity in the border areas." His eyes were firm and bright, and he spoke clearly, showing his in-depth thinking on national affairs.

Chen Jue nodded slightly, secretly praising him in his heart: "Mr. Lin is right. Then what do you think should be done to stabilize the court?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "The stability of the court is related to the rise and fall of the country. The court should open up channels for people to express their opinions and encourage ministers to speak out, so that Your Majesty and Your Highness can understand the sufferings of the people and the hidden concerns of the court. At the same time, we must strengthen the assessment and supervision of officials, severely punish corrupt officials, and select honest and capable people. Only in this way can we create a clean court, ensure smooth government orders, and ensure long-term stability of the country."

After hearing this, Chen Jue couldn't help but applaud and praise: "Mr. Lin has extraordinary insight and cares about the world. He is truly a pillar of the Chu State." He was very satisfied with Lin Yuan's answer. From his words, he could feel that Lin Yuan was not only talented and knowledgeable, but also had a heart that cared about the country and the people.

The next person to come was Jinshi Su Jin. He was a little thin, but his eyes showed a cleverness. When he saw Chen Jue, he bowed respectfully: "Master Chen, I am Su Jin, your student, to see you."

Chen Jue smiled and motioned him to sit down: "Mr. Su, I summoned you here because I want to hear your views on the cultural education of Da Chu. Please speak freely."

Su Jin cleared his throat and said, "Sir, I believe that cultural education is the foundation of a country. Although the culture of Great Chu is flourishing, there are still many places that lack educational resources. Official schools should be established in various places, and everyone, regardless of their wealth or poverty, can enroll and receive education. At the same time, famous scholars from all over the country can be invited to give lectures, and unified textbooks can be compiled to standardize teaching content and cultivate students' practical knowledge. In addition, special awards for imperial examinations can be established to encourage students to delve deeper into poetry, songs, classics, history, and other aspects to pass on the essence of Great Chu culture."

Chen Jue pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Su's idea is very innovative. But setting up an official school and inviting famous scholars to give lectures will cost a lot of money and manpower. How do you think this problem can be solved?"

Su Jin calmly replied: "Sir, you can mobilize local gentry and wealthy families to invest in schools, and the court will give them certain honors and policy benefits. This will not only reduce the burden on the court, but also mobilize local enthusiasm. For famous scholars to give lectures, you can set up special academic officials and give them generous salaries to attract them to devote themselves to education."

Chen Jue nodded in approval: "Mr. Su has thought it through carefully, this plan is feasible." He was pleasantly surprised by Su Jin's quick thinking and thorough planning. He did not expect that this scholar had such in-depth thoughts and practical suggestions on cultural education.

In the conversations with many Jinshi, Chen Jue listened carefully, asked questions from time to time, and gained a deep understanding of their thoughts, talents and personalities. Some Jinshi had unique insights into military strategies and proposed strengthening the construction of the navy to resist the invasion of Japanese pirates along the coast; others had a lot of experience in agricultural reform and suggested promoting new farming techniques to increase grain production.

After several days of conversation, Chen Jue compiled the details of his exchanges with the Jinshi candidates into a book and presented it to the crown prince. The crown prince carefully read the book in the study room of the East Palace, sometimes frowning in thought, sometimes smiling.

"Chen Jue, you did a great job this time. These Jinshi are indeed talented, and their ideas and suggestions will be of great benefit to the development of Da Chu." The prince closed the booklet and said with satisfaction.

Chen Jue said respectfully: "Your Highness, this is all my responsibility. I am honored to be able to select talents for Da Chu."

The prince stood up, walked to the window, looked at the scenery of the palace outside the window, and said slowly: "I have decided to arrange some of the Jinshi to enter the Hanlin Academy according to their talents and specialties, to engage in the compilation of classics and make suggestions for the court; some who are good at local governance will be sent to various places to serve, starting from the grassroots and accumulating experience; and those who are talented in military affairs can first enter the Ministry of War to learn and gain experience, and work for the peace of the border of Da Chu in the future. What do you think?"

Chen Jue cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness has made a very appropriate arrangement. This way, they can each display their strengths, and both the court of Great Chu and the local areas can benefit, and talents can be fully utilized."

Chen Jue returned home and told Chen Jia about this. After hearing this, Chen Jia smiled with satisfaction: "Xiao Jue, you have done your best to select talents for Da Chu this time. In the future, these talents will shine in their respective positions, and Da Chu will surely be more prosperous in the future."

Chen Jue looked at Chen Jia, his eyes full of gratitude: "Sister, if it weren't for your suggestion, I would not have been able to complete this smoothly. You also contributed a lot to this."